LOOK INSIDE: Asahi: Japanese Canadian Baseball Heroes by Carolyn Y. Nakagawa
Available Fall 2026
A vividly illustrated history of the Vancouver Asahi, the famed Japanese Canadian baseball team that broke boundaries and inspired a generation of young fans in the early twentieth century.
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“Warm inviting words! Fantastic baseball feats! Playful collaged pictures! Harrowing Japanese Canadian history! This book covers all the bases. And I really liked how it catches the feeling of what the team meant to the community back then and to this day.”
—Raymond K. Nakamura, author of Peach Girl
“As a Japanese immigrant, I find the story of the Asahi baseball team both heartbreaking and inspiring. This book perfectly illustrates how a love of baseball, one of the most popular sports in Japan, can bring people together and endure hardship over time.”
—Yukari Oyama Peerless, Japanese Interpreter and Cultural Consultant
"Through vibrant illustrations and engaging storytelling, Asahi celebrates one of Canada's most legendary baseball teams and the enduring legacy of the Japanese Canadian athletes whose excellence on and off the field challenged racism, uplifted their community, and continues to inspire future generations of social justice champions."
— Jeff Chiba Stearns, author of Ojiichan's Dragon
“Every Canadian should know the story of the Asahi baseball team. This informative book is essential reading not only for sports fans but for anyone interested in learning about our country's tangled journey to social justice.”
—Ellen Schwartz, award-winning author of Heart of a Champion
“A stirring history of how a truly extraordinary baseball team gave its community tremendous dignity and pride during a time of fierce racism and injustice. From the Asahi’s stunning rise to success to the team’s ultimate breakup when Japanese Canadians were forcibly uprooted, dispossessed and interned, this is a story with powerful lessons for young readers of all ages and backgrounds.”
—Lynne Kutsukake, author of The Translation of Love and The Art of Vanishing
“This is a marvellous, beautiful book. It entertains as it informs and finds inspiration, even in the most difficult moments of the story that it tells. I’m rushing to share it with every teacher I know.”
—Jordan Stanger-Ross, professor of history and author of Challenging Exile: Japanese Canadians and the Wartime Constitution
